12 UK travel destinations you definitely shouldn't miss in 2016

LONDON — A host of anniversaries and new openings are lining up to make 2016 a great year to explore the UK.

In Northern Ireland, the focus is on food, while in Scotland they're celebrating design and architecture. In England, the Queen will be hosting a four-day party and in Wales adventure is the order of the year.

Here are 12 reasons to pack your bags and explore the country.

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England

2016 marks 400 years since William Shakespeare died and Stratford-upon-Avon, home of his birthplace, is going Bard crazy. A new immersive theatrical experience at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), an exhibition highlighting the RSC's history, a restoration of New Place (Shakespeare's final home), and the opening of his school room at King Edward VI school are among the highlights. The town can get touristy, but if you're going to do it, this might be the year. A special site has all the details.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford upon Avon is one of the key Shakespeare sights in the town.

Image: Neil Farrin/JAI/Corbis

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England

It's also 300 years since the birth of Capability Brown next year. His name might not have the some global cachet as Shakespeare, but the landscape gardener made a huge impression on Britain. He built over 170 gardens across the country, most of which are still open. Blenheim Palace is one such project (a Mashable UKtravel tip for 2015) but Chatsworth House is one of his most impressive signature creations. A maze and a rock garden are among the garden's 105 acre's delights.

Chatsworth House is one of some 170 Capability Brown projects across the UK.

Image: Frank Fell/robertharding/Corbis

Haworth, Yorkshire, England

Charlotte Brontë also celebrates an anniversary in 2016 - it's 200 years since the Jane Eyre novelist was born on Apr. 21. The Brontë Parsonage Museum in the picturesque Yorkshire village of Haworth, site of the family home, will be the hub of the Brontë Society's celebrations and a major film, The Brontës, is set to tell the story of the famous sisters.

Haworth is set in the Pennines in West Yorkshire.

Image: Patrick Ward/Corbis

Windsor, England

The Queen turns 90 in April next year and the Royals are going all out to mark the occasion. A four-day party will kick off at Windsor Castle on May 12, featuring 900 horses and 1,500 performers including musicians, dancers, actors and artists. The Queen herself will show up to the last night. She's also got a shindig in June, when a street party will take place on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace.

Queen Elizabeth will have a four day party in her honour in May.

Image: Steve Vidler/Corbis

Brighton, East Sussex, England

The i360, a massive observation tower stretching upwards 450 feet and offering 360 degree views over some 26 miles across Brighton, opens next summer. The attraction, which they're billing the "world's first vertical cable car" will see glass pods slowly cruise to a summit that's higher than the London Eye. An attached beach building will host a large brasserie, tea rooms and a kids' play zone. Brighton is just an hour from London by train

The Roald Dahl Museum, Buckinghamshire, England

The children's author was born on Sept. 13 1916, and the official museum, in Great Missenden where he lived and wrote for 36 years will be going all out to celebrate the centenary. The film release of the Spielberg-directed BFG in the summer will remind everyone once again of the cherished English author's enviable imagination.

Roald Dahl's writing shed at Gipsy House in Buckinghamshire.

Image: Clive Nichols/Clive Nichols/Corbis

Dundee, Scotland

The Scotland tourist board has declared 2016 as their Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design and the country will be celebrating Scottish ingenuity all year. The Forth Rail Bridge and Glenfinnan Viaduct are two justifiably renowned creations but there are examples of great Scottish design across the country.

Dundee was recognised by the United Nations as a UNESCO City of Design a year ago, and offers a host of exciting places that justify the award. The McManus Art Gallery and Museum is currently hosting the V&A's travelling exhibitions while a permanent building is being created and a special plaque trail celebrates some of the city's accomplished women.

The McManus Art Gallery and Museum in Dundee is hosting V&A exhibits.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Over in Northern Ireland, meanwhile, the focus is on food and drink. Each month they're celebrating a difference aspect of its gastronomy, with January earmarked for breakfasts, April covering brewing and distilling and July showcasing the best of the area's seas, rivers and loughs.

Belfast makes a great base for exploring the region, with the Titanic Belfast having just opened three more galleries and new bicycle tours offering a closer view of the city.

The Titanic Belfast recently opened three more galleries.

Image: Geray Sweeney/Corbis

St Ives, Cornwall, England

The Tate St Ives gallery is completing a major refurbishment in May 2016, with gallery space set to be doubled. The renovated buildings and an extension at the back will allow room for many more artworks and bigger pieces. The gallery is set in a stunning location on the Cornish coast, overlooking Porthmeor Beach in the fishing community of St Ives.

Stratford, East London

Between the giant swimming pool, the velodrome, acres of beautiful outdoor space and the nearby Westfield shopping centre, The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is not short on things to see and do. The addition of "world's longest and tallest tunnel slide," will make the East End area even more appealing.

From the spring, you'll be able to whoosh down the 178 metre-high Orbit sculpture for £5 a go.

The slide opens in the spring.

Image: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Brecon Beacons, Wales

Across Wales, they're celebrating a Year of Adventure with zip-lines, white water rafting, mountain biking and hiking the Wales Coast Path. The Brecon Beacons National Park is a beautiful and accessible starting point.

Snowdonia, in the northwest corner, meanwhile, has just been awarded dark sky status - one of only ten in the world. The accolade means its clear skies make it perfect for stargazing.

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